Can't be bothered with the office commute? We’ve got good news. Over the weekend, the Victorian government announced that it will be rolling out new legislation to protect the rights of Victorians to work from home for two days every week – with the law due to be officially introduced in 2026.
According to the new law, any employee in Victoria from the public or private sector – aka anybody who can “reasonably” work from home – will have the right to do so at least twice a week. The move has been introduced primarily to help families, with Premier Jacinta Allan explaining that “work from home works for families and it’s good for the economy”.
The perks for families are pretty obvious, but the economic benefit of employees working from home has traditionally been more hotly contested. According to the Victorian government, flexible working arrangements don’t only save employees money (it's estimated Aussie families can save an average of $110 a week or $5,308 every year), but also boost productivity – those who work from home work almost 20 per cent more hours than those who work in an office full time.
Other benefits include reduced congestion and boosting accessibility to employment – including opening jobs up to more women with children, carers and people with disabilities. Since the pandemic opened the doors to flexible working situations, workforce participation across Australia has risen by 4.4 per cent, with more than a third of Australian workers now regularly working from home – including 60 per cent of professionals.
“If you can do your job from home, we’ll make it your right… not everyone can work from home, but everyone can benefit,” explained Allan, who has decided to implement the law in response to calls from unions.
According to the Victorian government, flexible working environments are “at risk”, with working from home requests being increasingly denied across the state.
Obviously, the law won’t apply to all professions, and it won’t be introduced straight away. Before implementing the law, the government will consult with businesses to ensure the law reflects real-world experience for various business types and professions. Following consultation, the law is set to be officially introduced in 2026.
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